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ITV Report

9 May 2014 at 6:00am

Warrington dad's triple transplant success

Andy with his lifesaving family Photo:

A dad from Warrington has been given three chances at life after his, mum, dad and sister all gave him a kidney. Dad-of-one Andy Knox, 42, from Warrington won the lottery in 1998, but two weeks later, aged just 25, he found he had renal failure and would need a kidney transplant.

Andy, said: “In the space of two weeks I had gone from being on top of the world to being told that without dialysis, I had six months to live. Without a matching donor I faced life on dialysis. But I was extremely fortunate because mum and dad had tests and were both matches for me.”

Andy in hospital

Mum Teresa was adamant she would donate to her son and the pair went into theatre at the Royal Liverpool hospital. The operation was a success and Andy was back home after just nine days. But over the next eight years he was admitted more than 50 times and eventually the kidney failed.

With Teresa’s donor kidney failing, dad Freddie, 67, again offered to step in. The operation went well and the kidney was effective for the next seven years. But last year Andy had to go back on dialysis and required another transplant. He was running out of options but one of his sisters Helen who also turned out to be a 100% match stepped in to save the day a third time.

Andy and Helen

He said: “The air smells cleaner, food tastes good again and I have a real feeling of rejuvenation. It feels like I’ve been given four lives. Mum, dad and Helen have all put their own lives at risk to make my life more comfortable and I will be forever grateful for that.

He is now coordinating the sport at this year’s British Transplant Games in Bolton, from 7-9 August.

He said: “The games are a way for people like me to show everyone that since having a transplant, we have not just sat at home and rested on our laurels."